Meet The Comb: A new Philly psychedelic-rock five-piece

The Comb is a new Philly psychedelic-folk five-piece group, but don’t be fooled — they’ve got a music pedigree that can rival some of Philly’s best local bands. Frontman Bill Fries alone has played with a number of favorites including Creepoid, Ape School, and his most recent band, Drone Ranger.

As a member of Drone Ranger, Fries strayed closer to the experimental, ambient side of things, but with The Comb it appears he’s toned things down a bit. The group’s debut release, a single called “House of Leaves,” still retains that complexity of Fries’ earlier music, but it’s also much more accessible.

“House of Leaves” is a thoroughly enjoyable track from beginning to end. Fries’ breathy vocals are often obscured by the thick melodic haze of his bandmates’ layered guitars and keyboards, but you still get the sense that they’re always right there, lurking beneath the surface. Whenever Fries manages to peep through the fog, he bears an eerie resemblance to Kurt Vile. That’s not a bad comparison to get on your first song ever, and it’s fair to say we’re expecting big things from The Comb.

Listen to “House of Leaves” below and check out their sparse, but soon to be growing Bandcamp here.